whitewolffandomcom-20200213-history
Anarch Sorcery
Anarch Sorcery is the blood magic practiced in various Anarch communities. The term itself is a bit misleading, as the Anarchs do not support a cohesive system of praxis. Like many systems of esoteric thought, Anarch blood magic involves searching out reclusive tutors who are often not eager to share what they know, or finding obscure tomes that are as likely to cause damnation as to bring about enlightenment. Instead, Anarch thaumaturges can be classified into four different categories, also referred to as "waves". Waves Old Skool Old Skool Sorcerers are preservers of magical traditions from before the advent of the Tremere, who rigorously absorbed every bit of magical practice and hunted its practitioners, or from mixed magical traditions that came into being in the New World, mixing native American and African belief systems to new philosophies. Old Skool Sorcerers see their magic as a lifestyle choice, similar to a religion. The Anarchs grouped under this umbrella practice a multitude of techniques, ranging from paganism to Wicca to Vodoun to Native American shamanism. As a result, Old Skool Sorcerers can be of any age or Clan. Old Skool Sorcerers have no distinct set of Paths, but instead use those Thaumaturgical paths that are most compatible with their chosen system. The most common paths are: * Elemental Mastery * The Green Path * Path of Mars * Weather Control * Path of the Evil Eye * Voudoun Necromancy New Age One of the younger waves, New Age Blood magic dates back to the 1970s and the various attempts to synthesize Eastern and Western spirituality, influenced from elements of parapsychology and pop science. As the center of these new movement was California, which also happened to house the Anarch Free State at the time, many younger vampires picked the new movement up. New Age Blood magic has most adherents among the Toreador and Malkavians, but also among certain Brujah and Gangrel, who seek to use their meditation techniques to lessen the risk of Frenzy. New Age Paths include those that imitate psychic phenomena or can be synthesized with their belief system. The most common Paths are: * Lure of Flames * Movement of the Mind * The Green Path * Path of Mercury * Path of Blood * Path of Corruption * Path of the Focused Mind Punk Sorcery One of the more difficult waves, Punk Sorcery is a blood magical take on Chaos magic and Discordianism. The central premise of chaos magic is that belief is an active magical force and that what the chaote actually believes in is less important than the intensity of that belief. Punk Sorcery was first developed in the 1970s against the oppressive force of the british Camarilla and the Tremere. Most of its followers are Brujah or Malkavians, but also Toreador and the rare Anarch Tremere subjects to this wave. Punk Paths are often the most unusual and frequently the most violent, designed for battle against other forces that would stifle the sorcerer. Paths include: * Hands of Destruction * Lure of Flames * Path of Blood * Path of Mars * Path of the Evil Eye * Path of the Levinbolt * Voudoun Necromancy Hacktivist Thaumaturgy Hacktivists are Thaumaturges that focus on modern technology as a focus for their Blood magic. Leaning on the discoveries of the Tremere Masika St. John, many Tremere neonates who manage to avoid the henchmen of their Clan turn to this form of magic, as most elders have little understanding of modern technology. Supported by the Red Question cabal, these modern mages create specific rituals that can be traded via shareware. The group itself claims that they are encompassing all Clans, but often shun Malkavians and Gangrel. They prefer Nosferatu, Ventrue, and Toreador, as well as the rare Tremere turncoat, as students. Technomancy is, of course, the standard Path, but many of the Digital Draculas had been devotees of obscure or archaic paths prior to their defection, and these minor paths gain greater currency when they’re one of the few things on the menu. Common Paths are: * Path of Technomancy * Path of the Levinbolt * Movement of the Mind * Path of Blood * Path of Conjuring * Thaumaturgical Countermagic Rituals Anarchs are also notorious for "hacking" rituals of other schools of Blood Magic, appropriating it to fit their personal paradigm. References * Category:Blood Magic (VTM) Category:Anarchs Category:Vampire: The Masquerade glossary Category:Trademark Blood Magic (VTM)